SpaceX launches secret ‘Optus-X’ payload atop Falcon 9 rocket

Nov. 17 (UPI) — SpaceX launched what has been a top secret mission just before dusk on Sunday, not releasing the contents of its payload and changing its original mission name.

The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 5:28 EST. SpaceX called the mission “TD7,” even though regulatory filings and U.S. government agency and regulatory findings, including the Space Force and the Federal Aviation Administration, call the payload “Optus-X.”

During live coverage of the launch, a SpaceX commentator said the payload was a communications satellite.

SpaceX has tied the total number of Space Shuttle launches from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A just with its Falcon 9 rocket at 82 launches each.

SpaceX is also close to eclipsing the total number of launches from NASA at that pad, according to Spaceflight now. SpaceX’s webpage headed to a geosynchronous transfer orbit, but timing of deployment was not disclosed prior to the launch.

This is the 16th mission for the first-stage booster rocket used during this launch. It was used in three missions to the International Space Station, GPS 3 Space Vehicle and nine previous Starlink missions.

The first stage booster landed on the SpaceX droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ about nine minutes after liftoff. This was the 85th booster landing on that ship and the 369th booster landing overall.

SpaceX said that the “TD7” payload is headed to a geosynchronous orbit, meaning that it will be stationary about 23,000 miles above the Earth.

Geosynchronous satellites work by triangulating with other “geo” satellites as they are known, working together to cover all surfaces of the Earth from deep in space. Timing of the of the payload deployment was not disclosed prior to the launch.